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MAINTENANCE
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the en-
gine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall.
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, it wastes
fuel and is damaging especially to tur-
bocharged engines.HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED
(petrol and diesel engines)
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium revs. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒do not demand to performance for the
first few kilometres. Wait until the en-
gine coolant gauge starts moving.
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the
engine has been started,
therefore much effort than usual is re-
quired on the brake pedal and steering
wheel.
Never jump start the engine
by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause a
flow of fuel into the catalyt-
ic converter and damage it beyond re-
pair.
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CARHANDBRAKE fig. 1
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
Pull the lever upwards to operate the
handbrake. Four or five notches are nor-
mally sufficient to lock the car on flat ter-
rain, while nine or ten may be necessary
on a steep slope with the car loaded.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, con-
tact Fiat Dealership to have the handbrake
adjusted.
When the handbrake lever is pulled up
and the ignition key is atMAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
xwill turn
on.
PARKING THE CAR
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒engage a gear (on a slope, engage first
gear if the car is faced uphill or reverse
if it is faced downhill) and leave the
wheels steered.
If the car is parked on a steep slope, it is
further advisable to block the wheels with
a wedge or stone. Do not leave the key in
the ignition switch to prevent draining the
battery. Always remove the key when you
leave the car.
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car. Always re-
move the ignition key when leaving
the car and take it out with you.
WARNING
fig. 1F0R0103m
Proceed as followed to release the hand-
brake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press re-
lease button A;
❒hold button Apressed and lower the
lever. Warning light xon the instru-
ment panel will go out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
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USING THE MANUAL
GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch ped-
al fully and shift the gear lever into one of
the required positions (the diagram is
shown on the knob fig. 2-3).
IMPORTANT Reverse may only be en-
gaged when the car is at a standstill. With
the engine running, wait for at least 2 sec-
onds with the clutch pedal fully pressed
before engaging reverse to prevent dam-
age to the gears and grating.
fig. 2 - 1.4 version F0R0154m
Press the clutch pedal fully
to change gears correctly.
For this reason, there must be no ob-
stacles on the floor under the pedals:
make sure that mat are always flat
and do not interfere with the pedals.
WARNING
Do not drive with your hand
resting on the gear lever as
the force exerted, even if
slight, could lead over time to
premature wear on the gearbox inter-
nal components.
Version 1.4: to engage reverse Rfrom neu-
tral position, lift the sliding ring Aunder
the knob and shift the lever rightwards and
then back fig. 2.
Version 1.3 Multijet: to engage reverse R
from neutral position, shift the lever right-
wards and then back fig. 2.
fig. 3 - 1.3 Multijet version F0R0105m
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WARNING
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from
the roof after use. These accessories de-
crease aerodynamic penetration of the car
and have a negative effect on consumption.
It is better to use a trailer to transport
particularly bulky objects.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount
of time needed. Rear heated window, ad-
ditional headlights, windscreen wipers and
heater fan need a considerable amount of
energy, therefore increasing the require-
ment of current increases fuel consump-
tion (up to +25% in the urban cycle).
Climate control
The climate control system requires high-
er fuel consumption (up to +20% in av-
erage): use the air vents when the exter-
nal temperature allows to.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified aerodynamic
items may adversely affect air drag and
consumption levels.DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine up with the car
standing: the engine warms up very slow-
ly in these conditions, increasing con-
sumption and emissions. It is advisable to
start off immediately and slowly keeping
the engine speed down: the engine will
warm up much faster this way.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving up when starting at traffic
lights or before stopping the engine. The
latter action, like doubling the clutch, is un-
necessary and causes increase of con-
sumption and pollution.
Gear selection
Use a higher gear as soon as traffic and
road conditions allow. Using a low gear
for faster acceleration will increase con-
sumption.
In the same way improper use of a high
gear increases consumption, emissions an
engine wear.CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
Here are some suggestions which may
help you to keep the running costs of your
car down and lower the amount of toxic
emissions released into the atmosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Service schedule”.
Tyres
Check tyre pressure regularly at least
once every four weeks: excessively low
pressure will increase consumption be-
cause rolling resistance will be higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the car
(especially when driving in town) and its
trim greatly affects consumption and sta-
bility.
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CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short distances and frequent cold start-ups
will prevent the engine from reaching op-
timal running temperature. Consequently,
both consumption (from +15 to +30% on
urban cycle ) and emissions will increase.
Traffic and
road conditions
Rather high consumption is caused by
heavy traffic, for instance when travelling
in a queue with frequent use of low gears
or in cities with many traffic lights. Moun-
tain and rough roads also have a negative
effect on consumption.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (level crossings)
the engine should be switched off.TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
The car must be provided with a type-ap-
proved tow hitch and adequate electrical
system to tow caravans or trailers. Instal-
lation must be performed by specialised
personnel who will issue the required pa-
pers for travelling on roads.
Install any specific and/or additional rear-
view mirrors as specified by law.
Remember that when towing a trailer,
steep hills are harder to climb, the brak-
ing spaces increase and overtaking takes
longer depending on the overall weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill,
rather than constantly using the brake.
The weight of the trailer on the car’s tow
hitch will reduce the loading capacity of
the car by the same amount. Consider the
weight of the car at full load, including ac-
cessories and luggage to make sure you do
not exceed the maximum towable weight
(shown on the log book). Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases
as speed increases. Keep your speed as
even as possible, avoiding unnecessary
braking and acceleration which cause ex-
cessive fuel consumption and increase
emissions.
Acceleration
Sudden acceleration has a very negative
effect on consumptions and emissions: ac-
celerate gradually and do not go over the
maximum torque ratio.
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INSTALLING THE TOW
HOOK
The towing device should be fastened to
the body by specialised personnel accord-
ing to any additional and/or integrative in-
formation supplied by the Manufacturer of
the device.
The towing device must meet current reg-
ulations with reference to 94/20/EEC
Directive and subsequent amendments.
For any version the towing device used
must match the towable weight of the car
on which it is to be installed.
For the electric connection a unified con-
nector should be used which is generally
placed on a special bracket normally fas-
tened to the towing device, and a special
ECU for external trailer light control shall
be installed on the car.
For the electrical connection, 7 or 13 pin
12VDC connection is to be used (CU-
NA/UNI and ISO/DIN Standards). Follow
the instructions provided by the car man-
ufacturer and/or the tow hitch manufac-
turer.An electric brake should be supplied di-
rectly by the battery through a cable with
a cross section of no less than 2.5 mm
2.
IMPORTANT Electric brake or other de-
vice shall be used with running engine.
In addition to the electrical branches, the
car’s electric system can only be con-
nected to the supply cable for an electric
brake and to the cable for an internal light,
though not above 15W.
For connections use the preset control
unit with battery cable no less than 2.5
mm
2. Respect the speed limits specific for each
country for vehicles towing trailers. In all
cases, the top speed must not exceed 100
km/h.
Fit a suitable towing stabilizer to the trail-
er to be towed.
The ABS with which the car
may be equipped will not
control the braking system of the
trailer. Particular caution is required
on slippery roads.
WARNING
Never modify the braking
system of the car to control
the trailer brake. The trailer braking
system must be fully independent
from the hydraulic system of the car.
WARNING
130
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OF THE CAR
Assembly diagram fig. 3
The tow hook structure must be fastened
in the points shown by the symbol
Øus-
ing a total of 6 M8 screws and 2 M10
screws.
The internal back plates are to be at least
6 mm thick.
The hook should be fastened to the body
avoiding any type of drilling and trimming
of the rear bumpers that remains visible
when the hook is removed.
IMPORTANT It is compulsory to fasten a
label (plainly visible) of suitable size and
material with the following wording:
MAX LOAD ON BALL 70 kg
After fitting, screw holes
shall be sealed to prevent ex-
haust gas inlet.
WARNING
fig. 3F0R0190m
Existing hole
Existing screw
To load Existing screw Existing screw
Existing screw Existing screw
Existing hole
Type-approved ball
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IMPORTANT When snow tyres are used
with a max speed index below the one
that can be reached by the car (increased
by 5%), place a notice in the passenger’s
compartment, plainly in the driver’s view
which states the max permissible speed of
the snow tyres (as per EC Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand
and track) to ensure greater safety when
driving and braking and better driveability.
Remember that it is inappropriate to
change the direction of rotation of tyres.SNOW CHAINS
Use of snow chains should be in compli-
ance with local regulations.
The snow chains may be applied only on-
to the front wheel tyres (drive wheels).
Use of Lineaccessori Fiat snow chains is
recommended.
Check the tension of the chains after the
first few metres have been driven.
IMPORTANT With snow chains, use the
accelerator with extreme care to prevent
or to limit as much as possible slipping of
the driving wheels that could cause chain
breaking resulting in damages to the car
body or mechanical components.
IMPORTANT Use low-clearance 9 mm
snow chains.
SNOW TYRES
Use snow tyres of the same size as the
normal tyres provided with the car.
Fiat Dealership will be happy to provide
advice concerning the most suitable type
of tyre for the customer’s requirements.
For the type of tyre to be used, inflation
pressures and the specifications of snow
tyres, follow the instructions given in para-
graph “Wheels” in section “Technical
specifications”.
The performance of these tyres is con-
siderably reduced when the tread depth
is less than 4 mm. Replace them in this
case.
Due to their specific features, the perfor-
mance of snow tyres is much lower than
that of normal types in normal conditions
or long motorway stretches. Limit per-
formance according the use for which they
were approved.
The max speed for snow
tyres with “Q” marking is
160 km/h; 190 km/h for tyres with “T”
marking and 210 km/h for tyres with
H marking. The Road Traffic Code
speed limits must however be always
strictly observed.
WARNING